How much did your pain meds help after your c section?

Claire999999 · October 2011

Do they eliminate the pain, or do they just take the edge off? I'm only asking because I just had my appendix out and despite the fact that I only had three TINY incisions, moving around was nearly impossible without the pain meds and the meds basically just dulled the pain enough for me to walk around. Whenever I'd walk around, though, I still had to hobble and clutch my belly with my hands to keep it from jostling too much (I'm not pregnant but I have a bit of stomach flab) because it still hurt quite a bit. Did you have to hobble around after your c section despite the pain meds? Also, did the pain meds make you tired and dizzy?

kcvasquez · October 2011

Nothing will completely eliminate the pain but yes they take the edge off for sure! You still feel sore and you can tell you've had surgery but I forgot to take my meds the fourth day and I was in tears, it took about a week before stopped completely (I used them of and on as needed for a few days) but I felt a ton better after the first week! Pain meds are different on everyone, Percocet did make me a little dizzy but other than that I had no side affects. They will figure out what works best for you and your body, there are plenty of meds out there to try for pain management after your c-section.

aubreyalise · October 2011

percocet was my BFF for the first few days. like the PP said, the pain wasn't completely gone, but i always knew when i was coming up on the 4 hour mark (when the nurse would come with my next dose) because i went from 'yeah, this is painful' to 'omg i have never been in this much pain in my life'.

honkytonk_kid · October 2011

Norco (hydrocodone) knocked the pain out for me if I took it on time, and if I wasn't doing much. If I tried to stretch out the time between meds (for the first 2-3 days at least) or walked around too much I would be in pain, but still tolerable.

FWIW, a lot of the pain from an appendectomy could be related to the gas they pumped into your abdomen if it was laparoscopic (I assumed it was because you mentioned 3 tiny incisions).

annabelle.27 · October 2011

I was only in pain when making bigger movements (standing up off the couch, or sitting up in bed, which was pretty much physically impossible for the first week or two) or if I pushed myself too hard. I was fine to walk around normally, though. I was on diclofenac and experienced no side effects that I recall.

My mom hobbled a lot after her appendectomy as well, more than I remember hobbling after my c-section.

biblionerd · October 2011

Oh my goodness the pain meds were wonderful. The first few nurses gave me their BS spiel about how they don't give pain meds on a routine schedule and that you needed to ask for them when you wanted them. So not knowing any better I'd wait until I was in pain and then I was trying to play catch up the whole time. I had one AMAZING nurse who said that as ridiculous and gave me my meds on the dot. It was WONDERFUL! I wasn't completely pain free but felt great compared. I'msure different people have different pain tolerances and recoveries, but when I got pain meds twice the day after my cs and she told me to get up and walk I almost laughed right in her face.

toriwc · October 2011

Claire999999:
Do they eliminate the pain, or do they just take the edge off? I'm only asking because I just had my appendix out and despite the fact that I only had three TINY incisions, moving around was nearly impossible without the pain meds and the meds basically just dulled the pain enough for me to walk around. Whenever I'd walk around, though, I still had to hobble and clutch my belly with my hands to keep it from jostling too much (I'm not pregnant but I have a bit of stomach flab) because it still hurt quite a bit. Did you have to hobble around after your c section despite the pain meds? Also, did the pain meds make you tired and dizzy?

I only took motrin after my c/s. For me, it just took the edge off. I stopped taking it at 6 days post op. I would hobble a bit when I first stood up, but then it felt better. No, the pain meds didn't make me tired or dizzy as it was just ibuprofin.

iris427 · October 2011

I was taking Percocet and Rx strength ibuprofen and that completely took the pain away for me as long as I kept up with the meds. If I didn't, I was in a lot of pain. By the time I left the hospital, I could walk around just fine. I remember going to a LLL meeting at 5 days postpartum and everyone commenting they couldn't believe how well I was getting around so soon after a c/s.

And FWIW I had pain and difficulty walking after my vaginal birth too. It was just different pain.

pepomntpat · October 2011

They helped tremendously! I definitely noticed if I forgot to take them. I alternated Ibuprofen and Percocet when I got home (ditched the Percocet except for bed time after the first day and switched to Tylenol because I could not stand the dizzy feeling). If I missed a dose of Tylenol or Ibuprofen I felt it.

I was still sore, but I was not in agony as long as I kept up those pain meds.

ashley0616 · October 2011

toriwc:
Claire999999:
Do they eliminate the pain, or do they just take the edge off? I'm only asking because I just had my appendix out and despite the fact that I only had three TINY incisions, moving around was nearly impossible without the pain meds and the meds basically just dulled the pain enough for me to walk around. Whenever I'd walk around, though, I still had to hobble and clutch my belly with my hands to keep it from jostling too much (I'm not pregnant but I have a bit of stomach flab) because it still hurt quite a bit. Did you have to hobble around after your c section despite the pain meds? Also, did the pain meds make you tired and dizzy?

I only took motrin after my c/s. For me, it just took the edge off. I stopped taking it at 6 days post op. I would hobble a bit when I first stood up, but then it felt better. No, the pain meds didn't make me tired or dizzy as it was just ibuprofin.

Pretty much this exactly. I never took any narcotic meds after I left the hospital, just ibuprofen. I avoided things that would hurt: stairs, kneeling, that kind of thing. You juts move REALLY slowly at first and don't try to over do things! Take it easy and having something to support your belly, whether that's a belly binder or just panties, will help with the pain too. It really wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.

Holly520 · October 2011

I tried to only take the Motrin 800 they gave me when I went home, but I realized that I did need the loritab for the first week or so. After that, I took the loritab at night and the motrin during the day, or if I did too much walking.

ChiTown Bridget · October 2011

I don't like taking pain meds but I am so glad I did after my c section. They didn't eliminate the pain entirely, but definitely took the edge off. I took them for about a week and then started taking motrin.

lilydeven · October 2011

aubreyalise:
percocet was my BFF for the first few days. like the PP said, the pain wasn't completely gone, but i always knew when i was coming up on the 4 hour mark (when the nurse would come with my next dose) because i went from 'yeah, this is painful' to 'omg i have never been in this much pain in my life'.

this!

atlanticpacific · October 2011

i had the spinal/epidural block for the first 24 hours, I think it was more like 36 hours and once they removed that, I took tylenol and was fine... I am allergic to nearly all pain medications so that was really my only option. It was definitely painful that second day but it was managable and I was up walking around the neighborhood with LO in about a week. i HIGHLY suggest the tummy support bands though, they are awesome!

byrne15 · October 2011

I was given a script for vicodin...which I found out I was allergic to. I ended up just taking ibuprofen. I still had a good amount of pain, but it was do-able.

I just had a laproscopy yesterday and am sore....but am taking percocet, which surely help.

Mrs. Alice · October 2011

They don't completely eliminate the pain, only anesthesia can do that! But they definitely help to make it more tolerable. Honestly I didn't have to much trouble walking around, I was just kind of slow for a couple weeks. It was the getting up and down - using the abdominal muscles that was the hardest part (if you don't count the nurse pressing and massaging my uterus in the recovery room!) After about 1 week, I felt a ton better. The real actual pain was pretty short lived.

Ardmhs83 · October 2011

They didn't totally take away the pain, but my God did they help! I did hobble around a little bit b/c of the pain. My percoset didn't make me dizzy, but it did make me tired, but then again lack of sleep b/c of a newborn made me tired too...so it is hard to tell if it was the pills or my son. :-)

chrisncassie · October 2011

after the first one I stayed on the pain meds they prescribed me. after DS#2 though, I'm not sure what they had me on, but it was WAYYY too much, I didn't even want to get out of bed, even though they told me I had to if I wanted to leave the hospital. so I made them cut the dosage. I literally only slept and dozed in and out when I was on the full dose. Once they cut it down I was actually able to get up and walk around and they were happy with my progress.

For the entire 6 week recovery I took my time, with everything. I stayed home as much as possible. There was no reason (that I could see) that was good enough for me to hurry and risk injuring myself.

girllennon · October 2011

I was on Percocet for only a day and had a script for it, but never filled it. It knocked me out and I was still hurting, but loopy. I just ended up with ibuprofen and dealt with the pain. It hurt more if I wasn't moving, so it is true what they told me in the hospital. Even if it hurts like hell to move, keep doing it because you will recover faster.

kdeames · October 2011

With my first, I was in a bit of pain in the hospital and the first couple days at home. I took the pain meds for the first couple days at home but they were totally useless (tried Norco, Vicodin, & extra strength Ibuprofen) so I just stopped and never noticed a difference.

With my second, I didn't even bother taking any in the hospital. I heard it hurts milk supply and I didn't feel like it was necessary since they didn't help with my first. My second c section was alot easier though. I was alone in the hospital and didn't have any help (even the nurses) so I had to get up & change the baby, get back in bed & feed, then move baby back to the bassinet every 2 hours myself. I wasn't really in any pain at all. I was pretty much back to normal within 2-3 days.

neya28 · October 2011

Hmm I guess I'm in the minority. I was on percocets for 3 weeks post-op. I have a really low pain threshold though and my incision opened up a little on the second week and they had to have nurses come to my house to pack it. This was insanely painful so I stayed on ther percs. This time if all goes well I'm hoping to be off them by week two. I didn't mind being on them as I have no side effects from them but I did feel a little guitly bfing w/ them even though only trace amounts cross bm. I didn't like the motrin at all as it did nothing for my pain and gave me stomach aches.

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